Metascore®Mixed or average reviewsbased on a weighted average of allcritic review scores.

20

out of 100

Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern

You need only watch the trailer to know that The Internship is a promo for Google; think Google for Dummies, as well as Summer Comedy for Dummies. It's as if the writers googled "how to write a script" and nothing came up, so they wrote this anyway.

50

out of 100

USA TodayClaudia Puig

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson may be the worst interns since Monica Lewinsky.

Parents need to know that The Internship follows two unemployed salesmen (Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn)-- who've made it to middle age without really accomplishing much of anything -- as they try to make it through Google's rigorous internship program. There's a fair amount of swearing (including "s--t," "p---y," and one "f--k"), and some scenes feature heavy drinking. One scene takes place in a strip club, where an extended joke involves a man ejaculating multiple times after getting lap dances. There's also a romantic subplot with some relatively tame innuendo and flirty banter. But the biggest love affair is between the filmmakers and Google, which is made to seem like the most wonderful place on Earth in this very obvious (and over-the-top) homage to the tech company.

Families can talk about the messages in The Internship. How do Nick and Billy's weaknesses turn into strengths during the course of the film? What do the filmmakers think is more important, understanding people or understanding computers?

The film glorifies Google, as both a place to work and as a company that's dedicated to making the world a better place. Do you think Google is really that special? Or is this picture a little too rosy?

The movie portrays a strip club as a place to unwind and let loose. Is this the kind of place your friends and family go to relax and enjoy themselves? Why do you think the filmmakers chose to feature this locale in the movie?

The good stuff

Messages: The messages are clear -- step away from the device, and engage in life with real people doing real things. Also, enthusiasm and teamwork are awesome. Some implied sexism in the men's choice to take the young recruits to a strip club to celebrate, and a joke about a boob job.

Role models: The main characters are trying to achieve the near-impossible -- land a job at Google -- and they don't know the meaning of the word "failure." They never give up, even when it seems like they don't have a chance. But whoa, stereotypes: The character who appears very pressured to succeed is an Asian young man, and the guy who can't get a girlfriend is a nerd. Really?

What to watch for

Violence: Several men get into a barroom brawl, though none appears to be injured. Another man is punched in the groin.

Sex: One scene takes place at a strip bar where people receive lap dances from women in their underwear while other barely dressed women writhe onstage. There's an extended joke about one man ejaculating multiple times after lap dances, though nothing is visible. Some flirty discussions and modest innuendo, plus the implication at the end of a date that a man will sleep over at a woman's house. One tender kiss. A chauvinist ogles and harasses a woman at a mattress store. A joke about a "boob job" and a glimpse of a woman (presumably post-surgery) with large breasts in a tiny bikini. But no actual nudity.

Consumerism: The entire film is essentially a commercial for Google, and many scenes expound on how the company is dedicated to improving the world and the unique qualities that make its employees special. Miller Lite appears to be the beer of choice, since it's the only one anyone is ever seen drinking. Plus: Apple and Lenovo make appearances.

Drinking, drugs and smoking: A few scenes show adults drinking beer or wine at meals or while unwinding. One extended sequence shows a group of people getting quite drunk, first at a restaurant and then at a strip joint. They pound tequila shots, and one is later seen passed out. One quick joke about getting "high."

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